My Book Club recommends The Bone People by

At its simplest, The Bone People is the story of three lost and despairing individuals coming together; Kerewin a struggling artist, Joe, a Māori factory worker and Simon, an autistic six-year-old orphan boy. The setting on the wild coast of New Zealand is also integral to the story. At a more complex level it is poetry, myth, legend and mystery.

If you are a book group which enjoys being completely lost in a story, the characters, and the imagery of Aotearoa, then this book is for you. You must also like to learn and be challenged, as it is a very challenging read. Also, a word of warning: This

Keri Hulme

Reviewed by Kirsty Grant

book is not for the faint hearted. There is pain, violence and sadness, and at times the writing style can be difficult to read. However there are also flashes of humour that seem to appear just when you need it. This book just knocked my socks off! I was completely engrossed. I was amazed by the beautiful flowing descriptions of the bush and the beach — I could feel the wind on my face and smell the salt air. This realness — of the place and the people — made me desperate for the characters to find their way through their pain. It was almost a physical reaction and certainly a spiritual reaction. I didn’t know where the story was going to take me but the words just engulfed me. The whole book is a journey in love, people, pain and understanding. I could feel the essence of Aotearoa. It is well worth the focus, thought and concentration required to read it.

Read this book, it will change you! About Kirsty Kirsty is a voracious reader of a wide range of books, but her tastes lean toward grittier, intense reads. She also loves descriptive, immersive writing, losing herself in the sights, sounds, and smells of unfamiliar countries, cultures, history and significant events.

Initial legal matters when dealing with the loss of a loved one

At some time in our lives most of us will have to deal with the loss of a loved one, whether it be a parent, a spouse, another family member or a friend. Not only is it a time of grief but it is also a time when a number of decisions must be made within a short period of time. In particular funeral and family arrangements and legal requirements have to be considered.

If you have not been through the process before it can be rather overwhelming. Your legal advisor can be of real assistance at this stage.

Below are some initial legal requirements to bear in mind:

* The first big question is – does the deceased person have a will. Often the spouse or wider family will know which lawyer the deceased dealt with and will know who to contact to find the will. However this is not always the case. New Zealand does not have a central registry for wills. A look through the deceased’s documents and papers can often reveal a copy of the will. If a will cannot be found your legal advisor can arrange for the NZ Law Society to publish a notice in its weekly email to practitioners asking if any law firm holds a will for the deceased;

* If you have been acting as attorney for the deceased, you need to be aware that your appointment as attorney is cancelled immediately the donor has died. As attorney, you may not deal with the deceased person’s assets once your appointment has ceased;

* Making funeral arrangements can be an exercise in diplomacy, as there are often various opinions within the family. Ideally the family of the deceased will make those arrangements together, with the assistance of the funeral director who will guide you through the process. Sometimes the deceased will have expressed wishes for their funeral in the will. Although those wishes are not legally binding they must be respected. The deceased may have previously had a conversation with their family to discuss these matters. In the event family cannot agree on the funeral arrangements, then whoever is named as executor in the will has the final say. By law, the executor’s first and most important task is arranging for the disposal of the deceased’s remains.

* The cost of the funeral arrangements is usually a significant initial expense for the deceased’s estate. Funeral directors typically require someone, usually a family member, to sign a Financing Agreement or similar document with a promise to pay the account. For that reason the Financing Agreement should ideally be signed by a named executor able to pay the account out of the deceased’s assets once probate of the will has been granted. Bank accounts are frozen after the death of an account holder. However, most Banks have a process whereby the Bank can transfer funds from the deceased’s account directly to the funeral director in order to complete payment of the invoice. Other payments usually have to wait until probate of the will has been granted.

That is a discussion for a future article.

Our Estates Team at Harmans can assist you and your family with all matters relating to estate administration. Contact Deirdre Fell, Estates Manager, on 03 379 7835 to arrange an appointment to discuss all your estate related queries and requirements. A